Seven women were brutally murdered by their partners or ex-partners in a single day, Tuesday, across different regions of Turkey, according to private broadcaster Haber Türk.
The killings, spread across six cities - Istanbul, Bursa, Izmir, Sakarya, Erzurum, and Denizli - highlight the ongoing struggle against femicide in the country. The victims, aged 32 to 49, were reportedly killed with guns or knives.
While three perpetrators committed suicide, two were arrested, and one died during his capture. The fate of the seventh suspect, who escaped prison to kill his wife, remains unknown.
This incident underscores the alarming prevalence of gender-based violence in Turkey.
In 2023, the "We Will Stop Feminicides" platform documented 315 femicides, with 65% occurring within the home. Additionally, 248 "suspicious" deaths, initially labelled suicides by authorities, were attributed by feminist organisations to third parties, raising concerns about under-reporting of femicides.
Turkey's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention in 2021, a treaty requiring comprehensive investigations and penalties for violence against women, has further fueled anxieties. NGOs emphasise that the number of femicides decreased significantly only in 2011, the year the convention was adopted.
This tragic event serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for robust measures to combat femicide in Turkey.
